Giacomo Biffi
ItalyEarly Life and Priesthood
Giacomo Biffi was born in Milan, Italy, and studied at the seminary there. He was ordained a priest in 1950 and served as a teacher of dogmatic theology and a parish priest in various parishes in the Milanese diocese.
Episcopal Career
In 1975, Biffi was appointed auxiliary bishop of Milan and titular bishop of Fidene. He later became the founder and first director of the Pastoral Institute of Lombardy. In 1984, he was appointed Archbishop of Bologna, a position he held for 20 years.
Cardinalate
In 1985, Biffi was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope John Paul II and assigned the titular church of Saints John the Evangelist and Petronius. He participated in the 2005 papal conclave and received one vote in the fourth round of balloting. Biffi is known for his conservative views and is considered close to Pope Benedict XVI.
Later Life
Biffi retired as Archbishop of Bologna in 2003. He continued to make public comments and preached the Lenten spiritual exercises to the pope and the Roman Curia in 2007. He reached the age of 80 in 2008, which made him ineligible to participate in future conclaves.
